Zheng Qinwen claims her friends used to get “upset” after she would beat them in juniors and that’s when she figured out that keeping it strictly business on the WTA Tour would probably be the best thing to do.
This year, the 22-year-old found herself among the top-8 for the first time and competing at the WTA Finals. But after arriving in Riyadh and asked if any of the other participants were her friend, the Chinese tennis said absolutely no.
“My answer is very clear, I always prefer to keep my distance from other players. There is a lot of competition between us. I am a very sensitive girl. I don’t feel like I can become friends with someone and then have to compete on the court, I wouldn’t focus 100% to fight,” Zheng explained in Riyadh.
“As soon as I encourage myself, I would feel weird. Deep down, if it’s a friend, I want her to win and succeed in life. It’s the opposite of what I think in a tennis tournament. Once I understood that, I decided not to try to make friends on the tour. There are so many people outside the WTA, why should I make friends here? I come here to compete with them, to win the match. That’s my opinion.”
After making her position clear on friendships on the Tour, the Paris Olympics gold medalist also revealed that she never goes…
